Auriphone.



No. 738,593. PATBNTED SEPT. s, 1903.

' L. M; ATKINSON,

AURIPHONE.

APPLICATION rxnnn APB.22, 1903. no 101121..

\ Ell/1111111111111 UNITED STATES latented Septemberifi, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

LEVISMURRAY ATKINSON, OF ROOKPORT, INDIANA.

-AURIPIHONE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 738,593, dated September 8, 1903. Application filed April 22,1903. Serial No. 163,858. (No model.)

To all whom it 11mg concern:

Be it known that I, LEWIS MURRAY ATKIN- SON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rockport, in the county of Spencer and State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Auriphones, of vhich the fol lowing is a specification.

This invention relates to auriphones, or instruments employed for the purpose of assisting persons of d efective hearing, and in which the sound-waves are conveyed by a tube from a mouthpiece or trumpet to an earpiece containing a vibratory diaphragm, which operates to amplify or augment the effect of the sound-waves on the tympanum; and it has for its object to provide novel and simple means for increasing the vibratory action of the diaphragm under the action of the soundwaves, and thereby render more distinct and clear to the hearer sounds entering the instrument.

To this end myinvention consists in the features and in the construction, arrangement, and combination of parts hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims following the description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification wherein- Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of my improved instrument 5 and Fig. 2 is an end view of the earpiece, the cap and diaphragm being removed.

The instrument hereinafter described 1 term a magnetaphone, and it comprises three principal portions-namely, a mouthpiece or trumpet 1, an earpiece 2, and a flexible tube 3, arranged to convey the soundwaves from the mouthpiece to the earpiece. The mouthpiece consists of a cup-shaped portion 4, terminating at its apex in a tubu lar portion 5, in which is fitted one end of the flexible tube 3, comprising an outer textile or other suit ble coveringii, in which is arranged a spiral spring 7 which operates to hold the covering in a distended position, while at the same. time affording the tubing the necessary flexibility. The earpiece consists of a tubular portion 8, terminating in an enlarged annular casing 9, over which is screwed a cap 10, provided centrally with an aperture 11.

and the cap Secured between the casing 9 10 is a flexible diaphragm 12,

preferably constructed of ferrotype iron or similar material possessing suflicient flexibility or resiliency to vibrate in response to the sound-waves which are directed against it through the mouthpiece 1 and tube 2.

Arranged behind the diaphragm 12 is a permanent bar magnet 13, consisting of a metallic bar which is permanently magnified and which is made very thin in cross-section relatively, so that the magnet also may slightly vibrate under the impulses of the soundwaves. While the magnet is in practice made thin enough to slightly vibrate in the manner described, it will of course be understood that compared to the diaphragm 12 it is relatively thick in cross-section. Said bar-magnet is arranged transversely of the passage 14, formed in the tubular portion 8 of the casing, and'is secured at or near its ends to said casing in any suitable manner-as, for example, by screws 15.

As shown, the permanent magnet is not in contact with the diaphragm 12 ,but is arranged in such proximity thereto that it may freely exert its attractive force, but not so close as to interfere with the action of the soundwaves upon said diaphragm. In using the instru ment the operator places the earpiece to his ear, and if the instrument is to be used in conversation the person speaking speaks into the cup-shaped end of the mouthpiece 1. The sound-waves are collected by said mouthpiece and' are conveyed by the tube 3 to the earpiece and are caused to impinge against the diaphragm 12, thereby causing said diaphragm to vibrate in correspondence with the sound-waves directed into the mouthpiece. When a permanent magnet is jarred or caused to vibrate, its affinity or attractive force for iron or other magnetic material disposed near it isslightly weakened. When the soundwaves impinge on the diaphragm to causethe latter to vibrate, they also act on the thin permanent bar-magnet, causing the latter to also vibratein correspondence, but in a less degree than the diaphragm 12, thus weakening the attractive force of said magnet. The soundwaves directed against the diaphragm cause the latter to be flexed outward, and when the diaphragm returns from its outwardly-flexed position the permanent magnet attracts it slightly more than it did when the sound waves forced it outward. Thus it will be seen that when the sound-waves act on the dia phragm, causing it to vibrate, the magnetic attraction of the permanent magnet is slightly changed in harmony with the diaphragm,thus increasing the vibratory action of the diaphragm and augmenting the sounds.

I am of course aware that in electric telephones electromagnets have been employed for the purpose of setting up Vibrations in the diaphragm of a receiver by electric impulses which correspond to the vibrations of a dia phragm in a transmitter, which vibrations of the transmitting-diaphragm set up in the circuit undulatory currents of electricity, which are conveyed to the electromagnet in the receiver. It willbe very obvious, however, that such an arrangement is radically different from that herein described.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1, In an instrument of the class described, the combination with a mouthpiece, an earpiece, and a tube connecting the mouthpiece and earpiece, of a flexible diaphragm arranged in the earpiece, and a permanent bar-magnet arranged transversely in the earpiece parallel to behind and in proximity to said diaphragm, the ends of said bar-magnet bein rigidly fixed in the earpiece across the passage-way in the latter, the said permanent magnet possessing less flexibility than the diaphragm, substantially as described.

2. In an instrument of the class described the combination with a mouthpiece, an earpiece, and a tube connecting the mouthpiece and earpiece, of a flexible diaphragm arranged in the earpiece, and a vibratory permanent bar-magnet arranged in the earpiece behind and in proximity to said diaphragm, substantially as described.

In an instrument of the class described, the combination with a mouthpiece, an earpiece, and a tube connecting the mouthpiece and earpiece, of a flexible diaphragm ar ranged in the earpiece, and a vibratory barmagnet arranged in the earpiece behind and in proximity to the diaphragm, said bar-ma net being disposed parallel to said diaphragm and fixed at or near its ends, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LEWIS MURRAY ATKINSON.

\Vitnesses:

ALLEN VINCENT ATKINSON, FLOYD H. UPSTER. 

